Price Impact
Price impact refers to the change in the market price of an asset caused by the execution of a specific trade. When a large order is placed against a liquidity pool with limited depth, the ratio of assets in the pool shifts significantly, forcing the price to adjust according to the protocol's pricing algorithm.
This is distinct from slippage, which is the difference between the expected price and the actual execution price due to market movement during the transaction delay. Price impact is a direct function of the trade size relative to the pool size.
Traders with large positions must carefully manage their execution strategy to avoid excessive costs. This metric is a key indicator of market depth and liquidity quality.
High price impact acts as a cost barrier for large-scale institutional entry into decentralized markets.